Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a label that have come to be applied to different religious tendencies in history according to who used the term. The word itself means "knowledge" in the Greek language, and in the antiquity it was a self applied term to any philosophically oriented group that considered themselves possessors of any special esoteric knowledge. Overview The basis for the term Gnosticism is the book Against the Heresies, by Irenaeus, where he criticises several groups that didn't adher with his opinion on what constituted the "correct belief" system in Christianity. Such groups where the Valentinians, the Ophites, the Sethians and others. Other later authors of the "orthodox" school produced similar works, most notably Tertullian and later Epiphanius. They called these alternate groups heretics, an inflating term that since have continued to be used for any group with alternate theological views. The term Gnosticism is a modern label that originated when church historians discussed precisely the "heretics" of Irenaeus, trying to find a common denominator of exactly those heretics, in opposition to later heretics, such as the Montanists. The term Gnosticism has been variously projected upon groups, but the most common denominator of the term usage is that the term user perceives that the group exhibits * "dualism", usually styled to reject the Old Testament god as an inferior or false god, * mysticism and * syncretism. The term usage was originally mostly used as a blunt cudgel used to condemn mysticist or Platonic philosophical tendencies within modern opposing Christian branches. Lately a considerable academic branch accepting the historical critical method have come to view Gnosticism in a much more positive light, as the earliest attempts to build a philosophical theology within Christianity. They then regard Gnosticism as emerging from Christianity. An earlier view based on Church father claims, was that Gnosticism preceeded Christianity, and (perhaps) tried to retrofit the story of Jesus the Messiah into their already present Gnostic theologies. Gnosticism according to the Church fathers The Christian Church Fathers used the term heresy (vindicated by heretics) for any theology that they disliked, and may have indended that Gnosis referred to it's original meaning "knowledge". In Irenaeus' Contra Haereses he called the Valentinians (knowledgeable ones), not "Gnostics". IRENAEUS: Against Heresies - book I ch. XI, on the other hand he later changes the wording to "a multitude of Gnostics have sprung up" later in the same book. IRENAEUS: Against Heresies - book I ch. XXIX This confused terminology have caused modern church historians to adopt the generic term "Gnosticism" as a catch-it-all waste basket for any heresy similar to those that Irenaeus opposed. Gnosticism according to early modern scholars Early modern scholars, most notably Adolf von Harnack, was of the general opinion that Gnosticism occurred as "Pagan" philosophical influences upon early Christianity. Gnosticism according to current scholarship Current scholarship is divided whether the term Gnosticism should be used or is invalid because of an earlier abuse of the term. Retractors Karen King claims that the term Gnosticism is a modern construct that makes the scholars search for a for non-Christian influences as a means to continue a heresiologist imagination of a pure, original Christianity. According to Michael Allen Williams the conceptual foundations on which the category of Gnosticism rests are the remains of the agenda of the heresiologists. He therefore proposes a new term the Biblical demiurgical tradition in the place of the term Gnosticism. Gnostic groups Gnosticism in the antiquity * The Sethian group ** Sethians ** Naasenes/Ophites * The Jordan group ** Mandeans ** Elcasaites ** Docitheans ** Manichaeans * The Simonian group ** Simonians ** Valentinians ** Marcosians The following are not usually regarded as Gnostics * Marcionites * The Thomasine group ** Thomasines/Encratites Medieval Gnostic-like movements The following groups are usually not regarded as Gnostics: * Paulicians * Bogomils * Cathars Modern Gnosticism Pseudognosticism Pseudognostic movements label themselves Gnostic but do not rely on any antique source for their theology, nor use an aeonic and demiurgic cosmology * Liberal Catholics * Sex magicians: ** Gurdjieffites *** Samaelians *** Belsebuubians ** Thelemites *** Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica Sometimes also other groups label themselves Gnostic: * Satanists: ** Laveyans ** Luciferans * Chaos magicians References External links * *